Device for feeding water to steam-generators



(No Model.) 8

W. BURNHAM. DEVICE FOR FEEDING WATER T0 STEAM GENERATORS.

Patented Dec.

N. PETERS. Phulmlilhcgnpher, wash-"gum D. (1

UNITE STATES PATENT IVALTER BURNHAM, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 394,827, dated. December 18, 1888. Application filed February 21, 1888. Serial No. 264,811. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VALTER BURNHAM, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Feeding \Vater to Steam-Generators Under Pressure; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to means for delivering water or other liquid into a steam-generator or other vessel under pressure by gravity from a pipe subject to less pressure than that of the generator or other vessel.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the application of my invention to a steam-generator, and in which Figure 1 is a transverse section of a steamgenerator and a central vertical section of a tubular cylinder opening at its lower end into the generator, together with a double pistonvalve therein and various pipe-connections and adjuncts, partly in section and partly in side elevation. Figs. 2, 3, and l are enlarged sections of the vertical piston-tube, showing the pistons therein in several different positions which they assume in. the operation of the mechanism.

A represents a steam-generator.

B is a tube mounted upon the generator and having open communication therewith at the bottom and also having communication with the atmosphere at the top.

C is a piston-rod carrying pistons C C and movable lengthwise within the tube B.

D is a weight supported upon a prolongation, D, of the pist0nrod.

E is a pipe for delivering water into the piston-tube B, near the upper end thereof.

F is a steam-escape pipe leading from near the upper end of the tube B, and G is a pipe communicating at its lower end with the pistontube B, opposite the piston C and at its upper end with the said tube b below the piston C and a little below the opposite entrance of the inlet-pipe E.

The piston U is provided with two passages leading upward therein from its bottom and opening at the sides of the piston in positions to communicate with the mouths of the pipes E and F, respectively, in certain positions of the piston-that is to say, when the piston C is at its highest position the passage 0 coin-- cides with the mouth of the pipe E, while the lateral opening of the passage 0 is above the mouth of the pipe F and the latter is closed by the piston; but when the piston is lowered so as to close the pipe E, the pipe 1* coincides with the passage c.. The piston C is. also provided with two vertical passages, c 0 the former extending from the bottom of the piston upward and opening laterally at its upper end in position to coincide with the steampipe G when the piston is at the bottom of its stroke. The latter, or 0 extends from the top of the piston downward and opens laterally in position to communicate with the steam-space of the generator when the passage 0 coincides with the pipe G. lVith this arrangement of the piston-passages with respect to the generator and pipe-orifices the following operations accompany a vertical reciprocation of the pistons: First, in the ascent of the piston to the position shown in Fig. 2 the space between the pistons C C is cut off from the generator and steam present in the said space may pass out through the passage 0 into the pipe F, whence it may escape through the safety-valve F, or, if preferred, through the pipe F into the open air; second, when the pistons are at their highest positions, Fig. 1, the space between the pistons in the tube B is in communication with the pipe E through the passage 0, and water may fall from said pipe E into the tube by gravity; third, upon a descent of the pistons to the position shown in Fig. 3, the steam-outlet c is cut off and the passage 0 begins to admit steam from the generator into the upper part of the tube through the pipe G. Simultaneously with this initial opening of the steam-passage to the pipe G, or upon a slight farther descent of the pistons, (same figure, 3,) the water-escape passage 0 begins to open into the generator. Finally, as the pistons still farther descend, the passages c and c are fully opened, Fig. l, giving free entrance of steam from the generator to the tube and free escape of water from the tube to the generator, this movement of the water being manifestly effected by gravity of the water under its subjection to equal pressure of steam above and below it.

A reciprocating movement may, within the general invention, be imparted to the connected pistonst) (1' by positive means of any kind-as, for example, by a crank or eccentric and pitman, in a familiar manner; but I have shown means by which this movement may be given the pistons automatically. For this purpose the weight 1) is pr ')vided. Said weightis adjusted to give a depre sing force upon the pistons somewhat less than the upward pressure exerted on the lowerpiston, by the steam in. the generator but only so much less than such steam-pressure that a load of water which may be contained in the tube .13 between the pistons, added to that of the weight, will exceed the steam-pressure, and thereby cause the pistons to descend. '.l.hen, upon the discharge of the water from the tube 13 into the generator, the w(. ighted pistons may ascend by the upward pressure of steam on the lower piston, and the apparatus may thus repeat its movements so long as water shall. be furnished by the pipe F.

To insure more rapid, Full, and certain movements of the connected pistons, they may be provided with any suitable form of detaining devices which shall yieldingly hold them in their extreme positions, so that to start them on their descent a quantity of water somewhat greater than that which produces a perfect balance of pressures will be iwcessary, and to start them onv their ascent the quantity of water in. the tube must be reduced below that quantity which would give such balance. For this purpose I have shown the stem D provided with notches or shoulders c, separated by a distance about equal to the length of the ")iston-stroke, and have springs C located on the head of the tube 13, so formed and arranged as to engage the shoulders c in each of the opposite extreme positions of the pistons. The s niings, when thus engaged. with the shtuilders, oppose a certain resistance to the starting of the pistons, but no sensible resistance to their movement at'ter start-ing. As a consequence, when the waterload resting upon the piston is sut'l'icient, with the aid of the weight 1), to disengage the springs, it will be sut'titdent to carry the pistons quickly downward to their lowest position. Here the springs will engage the upper shoulders, c, on the stem 1), and will hold. the pistons down until so much of the water is discharged from the tube that the stcampressure can. overcome both the resistance of the springs and the gravity of the weight on the pistons, when the pistons will. as rapidly rise to their upper position. In this manner water from the pipe E, where it is subject to a relatively low pressure, may be automatically delivered into the generator. A, which is under a relatively high pressure.

E represents an open tank or any other source 01. water-sup1; ly coimected with the pipe E. Under some cireumstanees (as when the water supplied is of low temperature) the steam admit-ted above the surface ot" the watcr in the tube .1 thrmigh the pipe G may be condensed promptly, and the escape-pipe l and piston-passage may be dispensed with or disused. To prevent the water being introduced into the gemrrator from acting as a cool spray to condense the steam in the generator, a tube, 13, may be provided, having a lateral opening, I), at the top, with which the watcepassage c will coincide when the piston is lmvered and. delivering through its open lower end in the wat er-space ot the generator.

E represents the delivery end ot. a pipe which leads from a steam-pipe connected with the gtiaiel'atioi', and which is intended to return to the generator the water condensed and entrained intothe steam-pipe. The pipe E is, in some situations, provided with a check-valve, e, which prevents the steam admitted to the tube .1 by the pipe t'rom entering the pipe E and interfering with the desired steam and water tlow therein. in other cirtaunstances a water-body in the pipe E subject on the remote side to the pressure of the st cam-pipe 't'rom which the return-pipe proceeds, will sutticiently oppose the steampressure from the tube. l Said return-pipe may often, there'l'ore, be made to enter the tube l below the lowest position 01." the piston G, as shown, while it may, in any case, it preferred, enter at the point at which the pipe E is placed in the drawings.

Any suitable stop may be provided l'orlimiting the dowi'iward movement of the pistons, a pin, 1', l. eing here shown for this purpose in position to strike the head of the tube 1- The rib marked (1 is intended to engage a notch in the edge of the opening in the head of the tube, to prevent the pistons from rotating out of alignment with the pi 'te-oritices with which they are to communicate.

The upper piston, constitutes a stopper or movable head in the tube 1. to prevent the steam which enters the tube below it 1' rom escaping while required for its pressure upon the top of the water-body in. said tube. It the steam be comlensed promptly in. the tube after its supply cut ot't by the introduction of cool water or exposure of the tube to rapid. radiation ot heat and the steam-(. sca1)e ii is disused or omitted, and it the teed-pipe be provided with a check-valve, as shown, of the teed-pipe E then the piston 0' may become a statioi'lary head to the tube l3, since its function as a valve to the pipes E and F will be discontinued. The rod (1 will in this case carry only the valve 0*.

I claim as my invention- 1. The eomb'ination,with a steamgenerator or other chamber underpressure, ot' a vertical tube comnmnicating at its lower end with the chamber, a lit p1 id-suppl y pipe under less pressu re than the chamber d eliverii'ig into the up per portion ol. the tube, a pipe having intermittent commun ieat ion with the chamber and connecting with the upper part of the tube, and a valve in the lower end of the tube, whereby the liquid in the tube may be intermittently delivered into the generator, said valve and that of the pipe leading from the chamber to the upper part of the tube being contemporaneously open and contemporaneously closed.

2. In combination with a steam-generator or other chamber under pressure, a vertical tube comnmnicati'ng with the chamber at its lower end, a valved pipe under less pressure than that of the chamber delivering into the upper part of the tube, a pipe, G, connected at its opposite ends with the tube at points of ditt'erent elevation, and a reciprocating valve, (1 provided with laterallyopening port-s e 0, one of which, when the valve is down, coincides with the lower orifice of the pipe G and extends downward to the bottom of the valve, and the other of which opens into the chamber and extends upward to the top of the valve, substantially as described.

2-3. The eombination,with a steanrgenerator, A, or other chamber under pressure, and a vertical tube, 1%, closed at its upper end and havingopen con'imunication at itslower end with the chamber, of a valved inlet-pipe delivering into the upper part of the tube, a pipe, G, leading from the tube near its lower end and back into a higher partof the tube, a vertically-movable valve, 0 in the lower part of the tube provided with ports 0 and c and a weight resting on the valve (1 which weight and the valve exert less downward pressure by gravity than the pressure which is upwardly exerted upon the valve by the pressure in the chamber, the difference being, however, so much only that the added gravity of theliquid admitted to the tube through the feed-pipe will overcome the pressure in the chamber and depress the valve.

at. The combinatiomwith a steam-generator, A, or other chamber under pressure, and a vertical tube, B, closed at the top and. opening at the bottom into the chamber, of a valved inlet-pipe delivering into the upper part of the tube, a pipe, G, leading from the lower to a higher part of the tube, a vertically-movable valve, 0 provided with ports 0 c, a weight resting upon the valve C so adjusted that the weighted valve, when the tube is empty of liquid, exerts less, and when the tube is supplied with liquid exerts more, downward pressure than is upwardly exerted upon the valve by the pressure in the chamber, and means which yieldingly resist the starting movement of the valve.

5. The co1nbination,witli a steam-generator, A, or other chamber under pressure, and a vertieal tube, 1- opening atits lower end into the chamber, of two connected vei'tieally-movable valves, 0 C provided, respectively, with the ports 0 c and e c, a pipe, G, connected at its opposite ends with the tube l3 and registering at its lower end with the portc' an inletpipe, E, registering with thepor-t of the valve 0, and an outlet, F, registering with the port 0 of said valve, the valve-ports and the passages or spaces with which they register being relatively arranged, substantially as described, for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention Iaftix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

\VALTER BURNHAM.

Witnesses:

M. E. DAYTON, TAYLOR E. BROWN. 

